The present invention relates generally to airbags.
A cushion wrap is often placed around the cushion (“airbag”) of an airbag assembly to hold the folded cushion in place against a retainer plate to await deployment. One end of the cushion wrap is anchored to the retainer plate. The free end of the cushion wrap is then stretched across the cushion for attachment to the opposite side of the retainer plate. The cushion wrap keeps the cushion contained against the retainer plate, but the particular folding of the cushion may be shifted and misaligned. For example, if the cushion is folded into two stacks, the two stacks may become interleaved or otherwise misfolded.
For driver's side airbags, there are competing considerations in determining how fast to inflate the airbag. On the one hand, the airbag should be inflated quickly so that it can get between the driver's body and the bottom of the steering wheel which will typically be the first point of contact. On the other hand, increasing the rate of inflation of the airbag increases the force with which the airbag contacts the driver's head.